…continued…
…and so after another full day, we went back and changed into our ‘bling’ for a glorious evening at Fruin Farm…
…to be continued…
Category: Events
Wonderful Scottish Birthday (post 1 of 3)
The last weekend in September friends from all over the world to belatedly celebrate my birthday… with many of them staying here on the loch…
…and it seemed a shame to have so many amazing people with amazing talents, intellects, and knowledge to be in the one place and not to share those gifts with each other, so we turned it into our very own private ‘think tank’ / ‘thank tank’!
…then back to the loch for dinner…
…and although we all said we were not going to stay up too late, this group started texting me at 2:15am! 🙂
…to be continued…
Braemar Gathering with Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II
The Braemar Gathering has been on my bucket list for many, many years – and yesterday had the most wonderful day finally checking that item off the list!
The first challenge was finding where David and I were meeting… My GPS first of all sent me to a cul de sac in the middle of a group of houses… The intention, however, was to leave my car at the railway station part-way, and for David to meet me there and him to drive us the rest…
“Not a problem,” thought I- I will just look at the map – only to discover I had no cell coverage! So, I did it the old-fashioned way and followed my nose – figuring I could always ask for directions… but eventually found the railway station car park – only to have David text me a little while later, “Can you send me the postcode again as I’m at the destination but it’s all houses”… LOL!
Eventualy we met up and headed off on our trek to north-east Scotland.
…although a couple of times we did zig when we should have zagged – but as a result found the most lovely places!
This old church was delightful…
David was a gem and braved the brush and stinging nettles to get some shots of the other side of the church for me…
…and interestingly, in among the headstones that were mostly early 1800s, was this one…
…back on our way again…
…and the pretty bridge on the left is where we leave the main road for the road that takes us to the Braemar Gathering…
Our seats were definitely not the most comfortable in the world, but in every other way, they were PERFECT!
This cute little building is the Royal Enclosure…
See that boulder he is holding… This is the Scottish equivalent of shot put!
These drum majors are about to toss their baton over a high obstacle and then catch it again…
…and if you look carefully, you can see the baton in front of the trees…
See the guy in the green net..?
He is throwing this!
…and now the Scottish equivalent of the hammer throw…
Remember that huuuuuuuuge cow-bell-looking weight? Well, in this event, the men need to throw it backward, over their head, and over a high wooden bar…
…and now for the caber toss…
Had the guy not been in the way, these would have been two excellent shots of the fellow going over the high-jump! 🙂
The object is to toss the log into the air in a way that it flips over, with the end onto which you were holding now lying furthest away from you…
Arrival of the royal party consisting of Her Majesty, Prince Charles, and Princess Anne…
The Queen was wearing a stunning colour! These photos do not do it justice…
…and what would be an event without the sack race!
I wasn’t feeling fabulous and so David was a gem and managed to find a lovely policeman who snaffled me a buggy…
…and being the girlie-girl I am, I first needed to make sure Louis and the hat were all sorted…
Finally, we met back up in the parking lot and were again on our way…
…stopped for a quick bite to eat on the way…
What a magical day!
I feel so extraordinarily blessed…
~ Bella
Vienna ‘Pretty Woman’ Opera and Ballet
One of the things I have always wanted to do – and especially since I saw ‘Pretty Woman’, was to go to the opera, and watch it from an incredible box seat. So, given that I was staying directly across the road from the magnificent Vienna Opera House, I thought this was the perfect opportunity – although it turned out to be a little more than I had originally intended…
Opera…
This was my first experience attending an opera – I have listened to opera before, but never attended an opera. While I was never really enamoured with the recordings, friends would tell me that it is different in person – so I decided to wait to decide if I enjoy opera until I actually attended one in person.
Upon walking into the Vienna Opera House, the place was abuzz with those attending the opera, and sightseers on tours of the magnificent venue.
The opera in question was ‘Parcifal’. This was the last opera completed by Wagner and tells the story of the Arthurian knight, Parcifal, and his search for the holy grail. I am not a huge Wagner fan, but am definitely into the Arthur tales, so figured this was a good choice.
…and of course, I made sure I had an incredible box seat – right in the centre.
The Vienna Opera House was largely destroyed near the end of WWII, with only the front section and this magnificent staircase remaining totally intact.
So… what did I think of the opera?
Remember the scene in ‘Pretty Woman’ where they are at the opera and Richard Gere says, “People’s reaction to opera the first time they hear it is extreme. They either love it or they hate it. If they love it, they will always love it. If they don’t, they may learn to appreciate it, but it will never become part of their soul”..?
Well, I happen to fall into the latter camp – I certainly didn’t hate it, but I must admit, I certainly didn’t love it, either.
I did, however appreciate it.
What was interesting was the eclectic nature of the audience. From those such as myself who were bejeweled and in full evening attire (some men wearing tuxedos); right through to people wearing jeans and leather jackets.
What I did find fascinating was that there is a section for ‘standing room only’ – literally!
The area was packed tighter than the proverbial sardines with people standing for the entire five-hour production!
That is commitment and dedication to the art.
Being such a long performance (almost 6 hours!), there were two intervals, and thankfully I had pre-ordered my food and wine, so it was waiting for me at a reserved table.
Then, after the performance, a nightcap at the Opera Cafe downstairs before heading home…
…only to be startled when I went to open the door to find as I was putting my key into the main door of the building, it opened… and a glorious specimen of a man was coming out as I was going in. 🙂
Ballet…
So, given that my experience at the Vienna Opera House was not exactly earth-shattering, I decided to go back again – only this time to see a ballet (I do love attending the ballet).
For this event I decided to get a seat in the royal box – I figured, “why not!”
The ballet was ‘Raymonda’, choreographed by the legendary Rudolph Nureyev.
Through these doors is the private reception room that comes off the royal box – where I am about to watch the ballet!
…but first, dinner…
This is the ante-room for the royal box…
…and these double-doors go into the reception room I mentioned earlier…
This is the ‘standing room only’ section – and it is not even close to being full at this point…
One word – MAGNIFICENT!
…although it has now spoiled me – nothing but the royal box moving forward… 🙂
~ Bella
River Danube Cruise to Slovakia for UNICEF
Cruising on the River Danube from Vienna to Slovakia, making new friends, and all in aid of a good cause – what a wonderful way to invest one’s day!
After leaving home and walking across the road to grab a taxi (and spotting yet another beautiful door!)…
…I arrive at the Twin City Liner jetty at Schwedenplatz (German for Sweden Square – although I have yet to look up why it is called that).
Today was the ceremonial opening of the Twin City Liner season 2018.
As part of the festivities, original “Pressburger Kipferl” were served at the entry point in Vienna.
The history of this delight apparently began at the end of the 16th century, when the first records from the former Pressburg of the sale of a pastry filled with poppy seeds or nuts appeared.
The Radio Wien-Band was terrific…
These shoes were on one coooool cat… 🙂
No, the sound guy is not blocking his ears from noise…
…he was attempting to warm them up!
Boarding time…
…through the main deck…
…and up to the captain’s lounge!
These rather peculiar looking buildings are fisher huts…
You can see from the water flowing around this buoy just how powerful was the current…
Some of the huts are quite decked out with solar, satellite dishes and more…
This (below) is my new friend, Michael – a retired computer engineer who grew up in Slovakia (or Czechoslovakia as it was at the time) and now lives in Vienna…
I always think these trees look like they have pom-poms on them…
…and while we were happily tucked away in the captain’s lounge, others found the going a little ‘breeeeeezy’…
Welcome (back) to Bratislava!
This city has only been the capital of Slovakia for 25 years… It’s amazing to think of such major history being so recently created.
…complete with UFOs…
Time for lunch – and since I didn’t have breakfast before I left, a very much appreciated break…
This photo does not do this meal justice – it was delicious!
…and back to Vienna…
This lady (below) was doing a ‘Titanic’ pose…
Hmmmm – so this light helps you see where you slipped?
Michael and I stopped in for a couple of glasses of wine…
…and a most glorious chat about all manner of things from places, to culture, to politics, to economy… and just as we were wrapping up, we discovered we could have continued on for several more hours on one of my favourite subjects, quantum physics!
…and home to enjoy for a late supper half a Viennese hot dog I picked up from a vendor at my front door… LOL!
An excellent day!
…and as I am posting this, it is the following day – and today I rest for tomorrow I am being picked up around 7:00am and am off to Prague!
It has been a huge week – including adding a new person to our team – and being delighted beyond delighted that they were up and running in basically o time at all… Feeling ever so blessed!
Stay tuned…
~ Bella
Listening to Strauss where STRAUSS played Strauss!
I booked this event weeks ago and have been looking forward to it ever since. Not only was the Kursalon on my bucket list, but the thought of going to a Strauss concert and listening to Strauss music being played where STRAUSS himself used to play his compositions… Bliss!
The website captures it perfectly: “In the very place where Johann Strauss himself used to direct his orchestra from the position of first violin, the absolute essence of Vienna’s classical music can once again be heard daily. The Salonorchester Alt Wien, one of the best-known interpreters of classical Viennese music, presents an evening full of Viennese charm with the lilting sound of waltzes, polkas, arias and duets, as well as operetta and piano concerto melodies. Accompanied by excellent opera vocalists and our enchanting ballet soloists, Vienna’s classical music reveals itself as a living firework display for all the senses.”
…but first, as part of the full VIP evening I had booked, a four-course, fine-dining meal at das Johann – the beautiful restaurant within the Kursalon…
…and in to the concert hall…
Front row seats, of course… 🙂
It was interesting when the double bass player brought his instrument on stage, to see all the wear on the beautiful piece of craftsmanship…
The musicians were outstanding! …and I don’t ever recall seeing an ensemble have so much obvious enjoyment while they perform…
The music from just these thirteen people sounded like a full orchestra… Glorious!
The music evoked in me thoughts of ballrooms full of elegant women in Victorian-era gowns, and dashing men who would whirl them around the dance-floor…
Tonight I felt like a princess…
…and it seems almost sad to see the concert hall empty after two hours of euphonious delight… but the notes are still dancing in my heart…
~ Bella
PS: while collecting my coat from the cloakroom, there was a young man near me wearing a LSU cap. I looked at him and said, “Geaux Tigers!” He beamed and gave me a fist-bump! I think that means I did good… 🙂
[sidebar: I actually went to an LSU game at Tiger Stadium with friends who I think have lifetime tickets – and we were only a few rows back from the field. It was an incredible experience – including tailgating with them in their huge monster buses (yes, that is plural)… The only drawback – Alabama won…]
Life’s Never Boring with 20,000 Protesters!
Curled up in my lovely apartment, and I begin to hear a thudding cadence approaching…
At first I thought, oh, it’s a small parade or something…
…and then they kept coming…
…and coming…
…and coming…
…and coming… For almost an hour they kept coming, despite the snow that was beginning to flurry…
…and somehow it just didn’t quite seem right to have a huge protest in front of the beautiful Opera House, but each to his/her own…
…and still they kept coming…
…and coming…
…and coming…
…and coming…
…and coming…
…and then the police kept coming…
…and coming…
…and coming…
…and still they kept coming…
…and the police kept coming…
…and they kept coming…
…and coming…
What were they protesting?
If you read the signs, it’s not just one thing… This seemed like a protesters’ catch-all march.
Some were protesting against the Austrian government, some protesting against the Hungarian government, some protesting against human rights abuse in general, some protesting against human rights abuse in particular countries, and just like the protesters, the reasons for protesting kept coming and coming and coming…
Well, after standing at the window for an hour or so snapping away, my frozen fingers and I are about to jump into the shower and get all glammed up for what I expect to be a marvellous night – I am headed to the magnificent Kursalon Wien for a four-course fine-dining meal, followed by an evening of Strauss, Mozart and more…
Such a contrast!
Well, life’s never boring… 🙂
~ Bella
Husky sledding in the snow in Scotland
After sleeping in (hmmmm, that is definitely becoming a habit on this trip!) I bundled up with my winter woollies, and headed off to find “Husky Haven” where I was to have my first dog sled experience – in the snow!
The dogs are adorably stunningly glorious..!
The man with the sun beaming down on him is Wattie McDonald, a two-time veteran of the world-famous Iditarod husky sled race in Alaska – and an absolute wealth of knowledge!
The dogs are truly incredible, each with a unique personality…
Although I programmed the holodeck (more on that in another post) to have some light snow before a bright sunny day for our adventure, there wasn’t quite enough snow to break out the skis, so we went with the wheeled version…
First, we need to get the dogs dressed (harnessed) and ready for the party…
This beloved fluffkin decided my skirt was the perfect place to curl up…
When they get excited, the sound is incredible!
…all hooked up, and…
…we are off!
…and these photos do not do justice to just how cool (no pun intended given the snow! LOL!) this was!
The quad-bike stayed ahead as our safety lookout…
We stopped half-way to give the dogs a rest…
The scenery was awesome, in the literal sense of the word…
Back home and off to the bar for a drink…
The blurs below are husky puppies – that are sooooooooooo cute!
I decided this fluffkin could come home with me to curl up together for a movie night…
Eventually back to Prince (trusty car) and note the temperature…
…then back home for hot soup and a glass or two of wine in front of a roaring fire…
A PERFECT day!!!
If you are in Scotland, I absolutely recommend you contact Wattie at Husky Haven!
Oh, and before I sign off, I just updated the post on the incredible Jacobite Train journey with a video some new friends just sent to me… http://luxuriousnomad.com/jacobite-train-aka-hogwarts-express/ – that was yet another extraordinary day!
~ Bella
Weekend Away on a Victorian-Era Sailing Ship
You know me, I love anything Victorian/Edwardian – and I love anything boat/water related… So, this weekend I combined those two passions and spent the entire weekend away on “Pilgrim”, a glorious small tall ship that was built in 1895!
Walking along beside Brixham Harbour, it is wonderful to ponder what life was like here when the Pilgrim was first launched…
She is the one on the far right…
…and as soon as I was safely on board, I turned off my cell phone and didn’t turn it back on again until Monday morning…
Here is more background information on “Pilgrim”: http://www.classic-sailing.co.uk/pilgrim-brixham-sailing-trawler
While she may be Victorian in age, the contents of her chart room are definitely not…
Our Skipper, Brendan in the yellow jacket…
…and this is one of my new absolutely favorite people, John.
As the sun began to set, it was time to tack and head into the mouth of the River Dart, otherwise known as Dartmouth, for safe mooring for the night…
I love watching as the lights all start to come on and twinkle…
Since someone was already moored where we were supposed to be, we simply grabbed a mid-river bouy and secured for the evening…
Just as you call a taxi on land, so too do we call a taxi on the water…
…and we say farewell to Bob…
…and thanks to Chris and Sarah for the lovely bottle of wine (birthday present) that was just perfect for this voyage… and then a wonderful and surprisingly comfortable night’s sleep…
Morning was magnificent, misty, chilly… It was glorious watching Dartmouth and Kingswear wake up and come alive…
Historic Royal Dartmouth College…
This fellow rowed across the river…
…perhaps headed to work…
Another water taxi and our Skipper abandons ship to go in search of two new passengers who were to join us for the return voyage… however they were a no-show (but since the clock changed for daylight-saving time, we later worried they may have been there an hour earlier…)
Breakfast of champions…
…and now headed back out the River Dart for the English Channel…
It is so sad to see this little cottage falling apart…
…Dartmouth Castle…
…and another look at my little friend…
There is something very quirky of taking a photo of someone who is taking a photo of you! 🙂
WWII gun placement and watch tower…
Such a fabulous group of people! I felt so incredibly honoured to not only take this journey, but to share it with such a lovely men.
France is that-a-way…
…back in Brixham…
…and here is a collection of short videos from the trip…
Thank you to everyone…
~ Bella
Champagne Reception at Downton Abbey
After a lovely night in Derbyshire, I set out under a veeeery strange sky toward Highclere Castle, home of the famous Downton Abbey.
The sun was an eerie red colour through the clouds – and at one point, the whole sky turned an unusual colour – well, unusual for the sky, anyway…
…but I eventually made it safe and sound to my destination of the Carnarvon Arms. Built by Lord Carnarvon (I don’t recall which one) as a coach house, this place is quite lovely and the staff are excellent and ever so friendly…
…and the food was superb!
So, it’s time to head off in our finest attire to Highclere Castle for a charity champagne reception hosted by Lord and Lady Carnarvon, and with David Robb (who played the doctor in Downton Abbey and is such a lovely man in person) in attendance.
Although no photos were permitted inside, we largely had free run of much of the main rooms in the castle, as well as visiting the extraordinary Egyptian exhibit in the bowels of the building.
In case you are not aware, it was the fifth Lord Carnarvon who, along with Howard Carter, discovered King Tut’s tomb – and many of the antiquities are still at Highclere Castle.
It is extraordinary to look at some of the jewellery and consider that thousands of years ago, that was being worn by a real life, flesh and blood, breathing person – someone just like us – but literally thousands of years ago… What were they thinking as they put on the artifact? What thoughts occupied their daily lives? What were their dreams?
If you have read / are reading Bridgit’s story (my Quantum Lace series), you know that she uses personal touchstones including jewellery as her vibrational links (and if you have no idea what I am talking about, you’ll just have to read the book!) – and I wonder what she would have made of these items…
We have to thank the current Lord Carnarvon, a very lovely gentleman, for having the foresight to take all of the artifacts and put them together into such a fascinating exhibit.
Carriages were at 9:00pm and I then came together for wine with two new friends – Ginger from America and Naomi from Japan, both of whom were visiting England. We were especially impressed by Naomi who, with very little English, was travelling by herself on a ten-day tour.
…then off to a glorious slumber in a huge bed fit for a princess.
~ Bella